Fan Marques

Thanks for answering me, I really like what everyone wrote.

So, it's really a problem when you want to reach now what you want, nothing come up suddenly and sometimes it doesn't even come up for the long term, but do you feel you don't enjoy your life as everyone else ? Do you need something else ? No, it's not supposed to be something like more money and prestige at all.

An ordinary job makes me earn money, but it's just that, money to pay for a few bills, maybe If I didn't want to make films, I could be happier, it would be easier for me to study better at university in order to get a good job after graduated(I'm in law school), it would be easier to enjoy nice women coming into my room, so everyone is happy enjoying the life like that, but not me, all that doesn't fill me up at all, I feel empty and sometimes I go down. Sometimes I try for some seconds to forget about wishing to make films because I've had bad times at university feeling like dropping out and leaving my job, and if this happens, I'll have a big problem.

I love filmmaking but I'm trying to lead my life to usual life, and it's hard, I just feel like making my short-films which I've written already, but wait opportunities is too painful, something like you're hungry for meal and your meal is filmmaking.

Is it convenient if I ask another question ? How to put up with your life without thinking about making films all the time ? Or how not to harm your life thinking about filmmaking all the time ?

Thanks you all very much.

Briefly, Which is most difficult ? To make a good short-film and to write a profitable feature-film or to meet powerful people to watch and judge your work ?

You're welcome!

 

The thing is, if (for example), Horror Films are your thing, then don't go try to make a Romantic Comedy just because you are hoping that'll be the next best thing. Go make a Horror Film. BUT....

 

Find a NEW way to make a Horror Film. Remake the genre. Sam Raimi got his start by making the ultra low-budget HIT called EVIL DEAD. It was in the Horror genre, but he weaved in a comic element and essential invented the "Comedy Horror" which paved the way for movies like Freddy Krueger and the like.

 

Take what you know and what inspires YOU and find a way to inject new energy into it. Somebody has to create the "next best thing." It isn't decided and doesn't just happen. If YOU have an original twist on an old idea, run with it. If you manage to write it, shoot it, edit it and have it finished by December of 2008, then MAYBE somebody in a position of power will see it and love it and the timing will be perfect in December of 2008. Or maybe you'll finish then but it won't capture someone's attention for another six months, or a year, or five years. Or maybe you finished six months late. There's no way to tell and that's the lottery aspect of all of this. Or maybe you have a great idea, but the studio executive who sees it doesn't trust you, but has a filmschool buddy from USC who he believes can take your idea and make it better.

 

There are so many variables you have no control over that can either help you or completely shut you out of the process and a career. The best you can do is to create what makes YOU happy and then market the heck out of it and yourself. Don't look for logic because there isn't any. On one level, you can help yourself by working hard and creating solid product, be it a script or a finished film. On the other, no matter how great your project or how hard you've worked, all of that can still be trumped by somebody's personal relationship with someone else.

 

This is not meant to be discouraging (nor encouraging), but merely to express the way it is. Life is short, so you have to fill your time between birth and death with things that make you happy knowing that you might never "make it" to the level you hope for. Not an easy task, and one that I struggle with myself, but that's the reality of life here on planet Earth.

I'm truly in love for the genres Drama and Thriller, at times both relating with crime, other times a pure drama that has the focus the life of protagonist. In fact, it seems doesn't makes a lot of money than horror films or action films, my worry is not if I earn money or not at all, this is resulted of my work, but for executive producers that doesn't prefer to run the risk of finance it, in addition I don't know, but it seems very hard for a first director to get finance and get the directing of his own script about drama, not considering the age's directors, it also seems hard to get the directing being a new guy for this genres.

It seems everybody likes Drama, a day someone rent or buy the dvd, but I don't think so much people likes to go for theaters to watch it. Companies wants excellent box office, then why will they run the risk financing some genres with low-budget that at times would profit better on DVD's and cable tv (I suppose) ? and is it too bad for writer/director career when his film profit better on video than box office ?

Feel free completely to say what you wish and think, independent if this is going to discourage me or not.

Very thanks Brian.

Behind the 8-ball means that you're already too late to make these films because they've already been made.

Thanks for the explanation Kirsty.

I understand what you are looking for and you are entirely correct. I don't think that most people who want to be Directors are necessarily looking for the fame or the money. What people genuinely want is a CAREER doing what it is they want to do and to make a decent living at it. Being a "starving artist" for the sake of making art can get exhausting after a while. Making art for art's sake doesn't pay the rent or pay off the car. Art for art's sake can't put the kids through school or help finance a decent vacation.

 

So, to "get a job" as a career Director you DO have to go prove that you are an artist (creative) and you also have to possess some quality that helps other (with money) believe that you can create "art" that is also profitable. That's the "business" in Show Business.

 

As far as what kind of short films to make, you do have to go back to the ideas that inspire YOU. Playing the "what will attract Hollywood" game doesn't necessarily work because by the time you see what's on screens, the "next best thing" is already being bought and put into preproduction. So if you see a bunch of teen/horror flicks in your local movie theater and decide to make one of those, you're already behind the 8-Ball because studios are now financing some other genre that you'll see a year or two later.

 

So, yes, you have to be an artist and make the movies you want to make. Then it's a matter of marketing yourself and your product to convince those with money that you can make money for them by virtue of your "art." They must believe in what is on screen and believe that you, as a person, can deliver a marketable product. It is difficult, no doubt about that, but it isn't impossible. There are plenty of "career Directors" who remain fairly anonymous, so fame isn't part of their quest. But they do make a very comfortable living because they work a lot delivering solid product.

This is exactly how I think. I'm not able to understand the idiom "behind 8-ball", could you mean better ? I've already read about that, people making horror films because it always is cheap and lucrative genre, but I don't understand if you've meant that someone would be "on right way" if it thinks about to make horror films or if someone is late because many directors already made a many of these films.

Thanks for reply Brian.

I'm getting the impression that you are to worried about "breaking into Hollywood" more than you about the actual work and art. I know this is true aboust many aspiring and student filmmakers.

 

The most important thing is the art.

 

If you are more interested in fame and and money being associated with Hollywood, you are going to fail.

 

The word "passion" is often used. A director, moreso than any other film position, can only thrive if they carry within them genuine passion. You have ideas that keep you up at night. You cant sleep. Your social life suffers, your relationships suffer, because you are more concerned with bringing those ideas you have to life. You are not, at all, worried about money, fame or Hollywood. Its those stories and characters that talk to you in your head. If you do not know what Im talking about, you need to reconsider what you want to do with your life.

 

A true artist doesnt choose to make films - they need to. Otherwise they will drift off into insanity and or become suicidal. It is that serious.

 

Don't think about Hollywood. And to be honest, I dont know why any talented filmmaker would want to work within the confines of Hollywood. The aspiring filmmaker begins independent, and many, by choice, stay that way. An independent director needs to find producers that will have faith in their talent. And short films is the way to start.

I understand completely what you've said, my asks are as regards "how to break into hollywood" not because I want to become rich and famous, at all, It's because I don't understand very well hollywood; but hollywood or any cinema industry also stand for "money to make his films", no money = no film, to make films is not cheap, it's not possible to finance all my films at all, if this was possible, probably I would be already a millionaire making films, but I'm not rich. And as any artist his art is intended to show to the people, to the world, necessitating of distributors, not only to keep the films to themselves, so, it needs the industry, but ok, thanks anyway.

I also agree you all about the true artist, all you've said, the need to make films, and in addition a plenty of true artist hates film school. I ask about why student filmmakers doesn't get into hollywood because I've already seen some of their short-films before, they uses many techniques "how-to-do" learnt at film school, remake scenes of some feature-films, sometimes It's visible their talent absence but I don't know if they are the exception or the plurality, it seems that mama and dad wish that the son become a star and they spend a lot money for this, and certainly this is not my posture.

Thanks.

Your answer is in your question. Make a cheap practical short film. Even though I only shoot film, I do realize that content is more important than format. Shoot on cheap video. Start simple. Create the story around your resources and around any creativity you may have. In your position, your resources and your creative ability dictate the story. Take baby steps.

 

 

 

 

Any number of ways. They come from a family with money and financed the film themselves, or are good friends with people who have money. Or they have, in some way, demonstrated a solid understanding of the complexities of constructing a story visually and the ability to effectively work with actors. This requires, among many other things, objectivity. Or they sharpened their ability to get on their knees and...well..should I continue?

Thanks for reply Keneu.

So, I've been taking a look on people that get into film school and after spends a lot money to make short-films to impress some agent, but looks the most of them has not luck and almost always they goes to work as freelancer editor. I would like to know about that "luck", they has not luck or talent ? Hollywood knows to take advantage of talented aspirant to directors or really there are a plenty of untalented people who only thinks that it is a good director but it just knows to lose money with his short-films ?

The Assistant Directing department has more to do with the logistics of getting a movie made than it has to do with the creativity involved. With that in mind, that path leads through the UPM to Producing, not Directing.

 

While Directors can indeed come from anywhere inside or outside of the industry, more often than not, new Directors will have been Screenwriters who develop the proper relationships that put them in place for that opportunity. Directors also frequently come from Second Unit DPs and Second Unit Stunt Coordinators. Others have come from the Art Department.

 

In all cases, they must somehow impress someone else that they have the creativity and capability to deliver a quality project on time and within the budget. It isn't always about the work and sometimes has more to do with the relationships formed. Sometimes it is about the work and the personalities don't play into it as much. Politics can help or hurt, it all depends on who you happen to be dealing with at that particular time.

 

So, it is a great idea to work inside the industry in order to develop the proper relationships, but not every position is a path to Directing. Not directly anyway.

 

Good luck!

But how to direct with only the script in his hands without never had directed a short-film or feature-film before ? How some directors get a role in the directing of his films only showing the script that it wrote ? Even it having relationships in the industry, how the talent is stated sufficiently to get into in the directing of film ?

Thanks for reply.

Uhh.

Which is harder, working you way up to being president of the united states or starting your own county and deeming yourself president.

 

Both ways work. However, getting a good script can be the hardest thing in the world. Depends if you have the talent.

 

Do you?

Everyone that likes to write at least should believe that it has some talent or it would not think about to begin to write. I just unfortunately need to improve my english a lot, so I'll begin to write in my native tongue.

Thanks for reply.

Beginning as AD or writer-director ?

So, I've an impression and I see there is a current for who is joining in the industry as writer-director, the person wrote a good script and talk to some agents and the producer may guarantee to him the role as film director of his script. (I think, maybe) some thought of a producer or company like "the man has an good idea and a script well wrote for we earn money, we bought the script license and if it wish direct and has been showing to us his creativity, that it also has good knowledge about how all works even it never had directed some feature film before, Ok, no problem, it'll direct and will has support of others professionals." Or the dude can make some like a short-film just like James Wan made in Saw and maybe become easier his guarantee in direction if really the company was determined to make that film.

But someone begins as AD looks harder, I don't know, the AD is in charge of planning filming days, coordinating the equipments in the location, taking care of figurantes (seems a little technical, uneventful, not so different in most of his films). So, if one day, one day... a producer looks to him differently, it may be invited to direct a script of another person.

And mainly, It's very rare to see on IMDb directors credited ever in his life as AD before.

I would like anyone criticize If I've made mistakes through of a point of view mine that is different in the industry and post his opinion about the question Which these way is less difficult to become a director ? Beginning as AD or writer-director ?

Thanks so much for the attention reading my question and sorry for my english.

Beginning as AD or writer-director ?

So, I've an impression and I see there is a current for who is joining in the industry as writer-director, the person wrote a good script and talk to some agents and the producer may guarantee to him the role as film director of his script. (I think, maybe) some thought of a producer or company like "the man has an good idea and a script well wrote for we earn money, we bought the script license and if it wish direct and has been showing to us his creativity, that it also has good knowledge about how all works even it never had directed some feature film before, Ok, no problem, it'll direct and will has support of others professionals." Or the dude can make some like a short-film just like James Wan made in Saw and maybe become easier his guarantee in direction if really the company was determined to make that film.

But someone begins as AD looks harder, I don't know, the AD is in charge of planning filming days, coordinating the equipments in the location, taking care of figurantes (seems a little technical, uneventful, not so different in most of his films). So, if one day, one day... a producer looks to him differently, it may be invited to direct a script of another person.

And mainly, It's very rare to see on IMDb directors credited ever in his life as AD before.

I would like anyone criticize If I've made mistakes through of a point of view mine that is different in the industry and post his opinion about the question Which these way is less difficult to become a director ? Beginning as AD or writer-director ?

Thanks so much for the attention reading my question and sorry for my english.

How do Steven Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez direct and shot at same time ? Both good directors executing many functions directing and shooting in filming step's of productions with medium budget, 40, 50 millions. Now they showed that can to make both functions well done, but in the beginning, how do agents accord that directors also shot when it wish to do it ?

I'm starting, for the time being as screenwriter, but when I've been writing or reading a screenplay I always think as director and director of photography, how would I like the actors acting that scene, frame, storyboard, how the story is being telling and the cinematography(contrast, color temperature, tricks, lighting, doing the harmony with all scenes aspect and facilitating the production).

I want to direct and write, It's really certain but I also would like shot it keeping my ideal conception of my screenplay.

Someone help me ? Thanks very much, sorry for my english.